Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 1Pl ENOS GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

No. 486,578. Patented Nov. 22, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. ENOS.

GAR GOUPLING.

1\I0.486,578u Patented Nov.22,1892.

" hIhvrrnn STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

FRED ENOS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,578, dated November 22, 1892.

Application filed August 17, 1892. Serial No. 443,285. (No model.) Patented in Belgium September 15, 1892, No.101,152.

T0 all whom, it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FRED ENOS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, (for which I have received Letters Patent of the Kingdom of Belgium,dated September l5, 1892, and numbered l0l,152;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descript-ion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the class of car-couplers known as the master-car-builders type, or the well known Janney coupler.

My invention has for its objects, rst, to produce a coupler whose opening movement may be effected without the necessity of the operator going between the cars,and, second, to produce a coupler both durable and ineX- pensive in construction, which may be easily released while the tension ordrawing strain is upon the knuckle.

With the foregoing ends in view my invention consists and resides in the construction and the several combinations of co-operating elements presently to be set forth, and then recited in the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its construction and mode of operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 isadetached plan view of my carcoupler. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section 0f the same. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation with the knuckle removed,the lever in its normal position. Fig. I is a similar elevation, the lever in raised position. Fig. 5 is a similar end elevation of the coupler, showing the knuckle in its open position. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the draw-bar on the line a a of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, l represents the draw-bar, 2 the draw-bar head, 3 a recess within the bar, and 4 an enlarged recess within the head. Upon a pin 5, which is removable, is pivoted a knuckle 6, having a finger-arm 7, extending rearwardly therefrom.

8 is a T-shaped gravity-locking bar, preferably ofthe shape shown in Fig. 2, and this bar lies within the draw-bar, its head, as shown at Fig. 2, resting within the recess -t and extending transversely to the length of the bar and its shank extending longitudinally of the opening 3. This T-shaped locking-bar serves a double purpose-first, to lock the knuckle in its closed position, as appears at- Figs. l and 2, and, second, to act-nate an angle-lever 9, by which the knuckle is thrown open, as will presently appear. At the inner end of this T-shaped locking-bar, as at Se, I preferably connect my operating-lever IO, and I prefer that `said lever shall freely .enter au opening Il in the under side of the draw-bar, and its end embraces the shank'of the locking-bar,

as shown.

For the purpose of insuring perfect and quick operation of my coupler and for steadying and holding the locking-bar in place I employa bridge 12, which serves to hold arm S? in its proper place and to prevent any eX- cessive lateral movement or play when the hand-lever is operated. Upon the front and under side of the locking-bar is an inclined cutaway recess 13, as clearly appears in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and at the end of this recess I form an extension 8d for the purpose of engaging the linger-arm 7 ofthe knuckle. The angle-lever which I employ is preferably of the shape shown, being held in position with a staple 14: and a small lug 15. The end 9b of the angle-leveris adapted to fall into a recess 16, as shown, when the hand-lever is not in use.

I will now describe the operation of my coupler, which is as follows: Beginning with the couplerin the closedposition, as in Figs. 2 and 3, the operator raises the operatinglever 10, and thereby tilts the locking-arm upon its end 8, as shown in Fig. 4. The opposite end 8b of the arm thereby comes in contact with the arm 9a of the angle-lever, imparting to the latter a slight movement in its bearing, whereby its arm 91 necessarily operates the linger-arm 7 of the knuckle and throws the latter open on its pivotal connection. The lever 10 may be then dropped or IOO released, thereby leaving the locking-arm in the position shown at Fig. 5. These several steps of operation are clearly illustrated in the drawings. When it is desired to make a coupling, it is simply done by forcing the couplers together from the position shown in Fig. Therebytheknucklesareswungclosed. The finger-arms ride upon the incline-recess until the end is reached, when thelockingarm is free to fall within the path of the finger, thereby making the coupling. A lug 18 within the head prevents any longitudinal movement of the lockingarm during the making of the coupling. It will be readily seen that there can be no question of the accidental release of this coupling, since the knuckle is held closed by the blocking action of the head of thelocking-bar, which is interposed between the wall of the recess 4 and the end of the part 7.

I claim- 1. The combination,with adraw-bar having an opening upon its under side adapted to receive an operatinglever, of a T-shaped locking-arm within the arm and to which the operating-lever is connected and a bridge 12 to hold said locking-arm in place, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-bar head having a recess to receive the nger-arn1 of a swinging knuckle, of an angle-lever whereby said knuckle is opened and a T-shaped gravity-locking arm adapted to lock the knuckle in a closed position, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler of the class described, a

swinging knuckle, an angle-lever pivoted within the coupler, a T-shaped locking-bar having an inclined recess upon its under side, and an extension 8d, the whole adapted to be operated by a hand-lever from beneath the drawbar, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar and itsattached head,0f a swinging knuckle pivoted to the head and provided with a rearwardly-extending nger-bar, a T-shaped locking-bar having its head extending transversely within the draw-head and adapted to block the iinger-bar, and a lever for the operation of the locking-bar to disengage the same, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar and the draw-head, both recessed as described, of the knuckle provided with a finger-bar and pivotally attached to the head, a T-shaped lockingbar having its shank lying within the draw-bar and its head disposed transversely within the recess in the draw-head, a lever engaging and adapted to tilt the said locking-bar, whereby its head is removed out of locking engagement with the finger-bar, and a lever interposed between the locking-bar and knuckle, whereby the latter is swung open by the lifting movement of the former, substantially as specified.

In testilnony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED ENOS.

Witnesses:

A. B. FAIRCHILD, C. M. NEWMAN. 

